Reducing-wheel.



' A. 0. BENECKE. REDUCING 'WHEEL. APPLICATION FILED MAY 23. $914.

1 182,1 32. Patented May 9, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1- A. O. BENECKE.

REDUCING WHEEL.

APPLHZATION FILED MAY 23. 1914.

1,182,1 32L Patented May 9,1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFroE.

ennnnnn'r o. BENECKE, or BOSTON, ivrnssncnusnrrs, nssrenon TO cnosnx STEAM GAGE & VALVE COMPANY, or BOSTON, mnssecnusnrrs, A conceonnrrou.

nnnucine -wnjnnn To all whom it may concern: I I I Be it known that I, Aonnnnn'r a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Reducing-lVheels, of which the following is a specification. p I This invention relates to reducing wheels for engine indicators and its object is to'provide a simple, compact and durable reducing wheel adapted for use on enginesof any length of stroke.

Whilefthe reducing wheels now in use the ends of the controlling springs of all reducing wheels are fastened to longitudinally fixed abutments, no provision being made to accommodate the increased or decreased number of convolutions of the springcaused by its winding up, or unwinding.

To avoid these defects is the object of my invention and I attain this object by the mechanism of whichthe following is a description.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of the device; Fig. 2 is a vertical, sectional view on the line 2--2 Fig. 1; Figs. 3 and 4 are detailed views of the clutch members; and Fig. 5, is a sectional view on the line 55 Fig. 2.

The reducing mechanism is mounted on the frame 1 clamped tosthe bushing 2, on whichbushing is mounted thesteam' cylinder 3 furnished with the arm 4:, whereon is mounted the rotary reciprocating paper drum 5 furnished with the controlling spring 6. The shaft 7, journaled in frame 1, is furnished intermediate its bearings with the gears 8 and 9, while to its lower end is fixed the stroke pulley 10. The cylindri- Specification of Letters Patent.

7 Application filed May 23, 1914. Serial N 0. 840,505.

O. Bnnncxn,

Patented May 9,1916.

cal, vertical shaft 11, fixedly mounted on framel, is furnished adjacent its upper end with the exteriorly squared portion 12 and has itsupper end threaded to receive the thumb .nut 13. The sleeve 14, rotatably mounted on shaft 11, terminates at its upper end in the exteriorly squared portion 15 g l the sleeve 16, splined to sleeve 141 and held in longitudinal adjustment thereon byset screw 17, carries the gears 18 and 19adapted to engage, respectively, gears 8 and9. The driving clutch member 20 is fixed to, said sleeve ll, so as to rotate therewith; while the driven clutch member 21 is fixed to the sleeve 22, which is rotatably gmounted on said sleeve 14 and carries the stepped pulley 23 splined thereto and held in longitudinal adjustment thereon by set screw 24:. Longitudinal .movement of sleeve 22 on sleeve 14 is prevented by the collar 25. surmounting said sleeve 22 and secured to. sleeve 14 byset screw 26; said collar 25 ,being. intferiorly enlarge-d at its upper end and exteriorly flanged. Thecontrolling spring 27 has its upper end fixed to the exteriorly threaded and interiorly squared collar 28 adapted to fit over and engage the squared'portion 12 of shaft- 11 and its lower end fixed to "the interiorly squared collar 29 adapted to fit loosely over and travel along the squared portion 15 of sleeve 14, as said sleeve rotates. The tubular member 30 rests upon the flanged portion of collar 25, thereby forming a spring chamber and is threaded at its upper endto engage collar 28, which is held on shaft 11 by the thumb nut 13. The friction pawl 31, adapted to engage driven member 21 of the clutch, is operated by the handle 32 and held in its extreme,

thereby varying the speed of the steppedpulley relatively'to that of the stroke pulley. Third: automatically lengthening, or short ening, the controlling spring 27, as the number of convolutions thereof increases, or decreases. vThe gears are of such diameters, that the motion of the shaft 7 is transmitted to the sleeve 14: at a different ratio, when gears 8 and 18, or gears 9 and 19, are engaged respectively. Preferably I make the ratio 1 to 2.5 between gears 8 and 18 and 1 to 5 between gears 9 and 19; so that, when gears 8 and 18 are engaged, the sleeve 14L will make one revolution for every two and a half revolutions of the stroke pulley 10 and when gears 9 and 19 are engaged, the sleeve 14 will make one revolution for every five revolutions of said stroke pulley.

As the clutch mechanism and the indicating mechanism (including reciprocating drum 5) form no part of the present invention, they neednot be more fully illustrated, or described; though it should be noted that the controlling springs 27 and 6 are each provided with the means for automatic longitudinal adjustment, which provision constitutes a very important part of this invention.- l

I claim:

l. A reducing wheel of the character de scribed comprising, in combination, a fixed shaft, a rotatably reciprocating sleeve mounted thereon and reducing mechanism for reciprocating said sleeve including a controlling spring having one end fixed to said shaft and the other endengaging said said sleeve rotatably therewith and automatically adjustably therealong. g

2. A reducing wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a fixed shaft, a rotatably reciprocating sleeve mounted thereon and reducing mechanism for reciprocating said sleeve including a controlling spring and sets 'of' coacting gears, with means for bringing any desired set of gears into engagement and disengaging the remaining gears.

3. A reducing wheel of the character described comprising, in combination, a fixed shaft, a rotatably reciprocating sleeve mounted on said shaft, reducing mechanism including a controlling spring for reciprocating said sleeve and a stepped pulley mounted on said sleeve rotatably therewith and adjustably therealong.

at. A reducing wheel of the character de- I scribed comprising, in combination, a fixed shaft, a rotatably reciprocating sleeve mounted on said shaft, a stepped pulley mounted on said sleeve rotatably therewith and adjustably therealong and reducing mechanism for reciprocating said sleeve including a controlling spring and sets of coacting gears, with means for bringing any desired set of gears into engagementand disengaging the remaining gears.

5. A rotatably reciprocating spring comprising, in combination, a shaft, a collar mounted thereon. rotatably therewith and automatically movably therealong and a springhaving one end'fixed to said shaft and the other end fixed to said collar.

' In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses;

ADELBERT o. BENECKE.

Witnesses: i

RALPH W. Fos'rnn, CLARENCE L. NEWTON.

Copies of this patent may beiobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

